7 advices that you need to know when you are taking the Bar Examination

 

Over one month to go before the much-awaited November 2022 #CaguioWow Bar Examination will commence, and most of the takers are in jitters already as the time for the examination is slowly approaching.

 

Don’t worry. Your jittery feeling is normal and you are not alone in experiencing that. I for instance, when I was taking the Bar, did have the same feeling. But don’t fret and keep studying hard in a balanced fashion. I believe that all of the hard works that you are doing now will be paid off.

 

But let me help you to have a glimpse of what will happen in the Bar Exam site especially to the first-time takers, so that you will have an idea or some heads up on the activities that will happen during the start of the examination.

 

Here are 7 advices that you need to know when you are taking the 

Bar Examination.

 

1.     Prepare your materials that you will bring a day before the exam.

 

Is your transparent bag ready? What about your laptop and its charger?

The things that are important must be prepared. It is advisable to make a list of the things will bring for the battle. Of all things, do not forget to bring the copy of your NOTICE OF ADMISSION which I advise you to print in two copies, wherein one is a reserve if ever the other one has been damaged or lost.

Other materials that you can bring are pens for signing, Identification Cards in case they want to verify your identity, your last-minute reviewers and codals, and any other materials that you need to bring as stated under the Bar Bulletin.

Also, do not forget your medicines and some loperamide, in case you don’t want to have a hassle in going to the bathroom while taking the examination. Pain relievers for headache is also advisable.

 

 

2.     Do not bring a Cellphone.

 

You heard it right. Do not bring a cellphone.

It is advisable that you refrain bringing a cellphone, as doing so will lessen the time that you will have to go into your room because per my observation when I took the Bar, those who have their cellphones with them need to undergo an additional step  depositing their phones to the security personnel of the examination site. For me this is a hassle and will slow you. 

If you imagine, the time that you were lining up to deposit your phone, is the time that you are already in your room and reading your last-minute reviewer. It is also the same when you finished the examination, where instead of going home already, you need to line up first to get the phone that you deposited before you can proceed going home.

My advised is that if you are fetched by your love ones, decide to talk with them about the area or place where they can pick you up or you will wait after the exam, for them to easily find you.

 

3.     Be wary of time

 

The Exam Proctor will tell you that upon taking the examination, there will be a bell ringing to signal the time in the examination. This bell signal is applicable in the morning and afternoon examination.  As I remember, there were 5 bell rings that were made during our exam:

 

First Bell          - 30 Minutes before the examination time

Second Bell     - Start of the Examination

Third Bell         - 30 Minutes before the end of the exam time

Fourth Bell       - 5 Minutes before the end of the exam time

Fifth Bell          - End of the Examination

                       

Please be wary of the time you submit your examination. It is advisable to submit it, particularly around 5 to 10 minutes before the exam end time, as we do not know the uploading capacity of the internet of the exam site, and your exam might be submitted 1 minute or a few minutes late over the end time of the examination. This late uploading/submission might cause you to be disqualified. Prudence is required for the time you are going to submit and upload your answer.

The Examination Proctor shall also time by time writes in the board the current time for the examiners to be aware of the remaining time of the examination.

 

4.     Bring water, candies and light meals

 

When I took the bar, I drank one bottle of coffee in the morning and one in the afternoon to wake me up before starting answering the examination. But this is not advisable for all. It is much more preferred that you drink plenty of water during the exam to keep you hydrated and for your brain to function fully.

For the food, when I was to take the Bar, I decided not to eat a heavy meal as it might disturb my stomach. I decided to stick with biscuits and water so that in the afternoon, I will not feel sleepy for having a heavy lunch.

My advice is to have something that you think that is a light meal for you, like sandwich or a small size pasta or even a small rice with viand, as long as that meal is not heavy for your stomach, especially for the afternoon examination.

The candies are for while you take the exam in order for you to have a small bit of sugar for your energy and to keep your mind awake.

 

5.     Make a PDF of Important Subject Topics of your reviewer.

 

REMINDER: IF THE BAR BULLETIN ALLOWS EXAMINEES TO HAVE A DIGITAL REVIEWER IN YOUR LAPTOP, THEN THIS IS ADVISABLE. BUT IF NOT ALLOWED, PLEASE REFRAIN FROM DOING SO.     

Upon the first bell ring, the Exam Proctor will inform the Bar Takers to bring their things outside. With this, you are left with 30 minutes window to review. But how can you review if your physical materials are now all outside? So, this is where the PDF will come in handy.

You may open a PDF File and read for 30 minutes more or if you can, from the very start when you enter the room, you can use your PDF reviewer to refresh yourself of important things that you must remember for the exam.

Again, I ADVISED TO DO THIS IF IT IS ALLOWED by checking the Bar Bulletin, or if not stated in the Bar Bulletin, ask first the Exam Proctor if they will allow you to read PDF in your laptop to avoid disqualifications.

 

6.     Refrain from opening any Social Media Account or use the internet in your laptop.

 

This is for your safety to avoid disqualification. Last Bar Examination, Justice Leonen was compassionate enough to allow those who use the internet in their laptop to be disqualified but only for the bestbarever Bar Exam, was allowed to take the bar examination again, and was not disqualified to take the examination perpetually. 

I do not know whether Justice Caguioa has the same kind of compassion. But let us not test the water and refrain ourselves from doing this to avoid disqualification. 

 

7.     Pray Before the Examination / Relax yourself before you start your exam

 

Before you start answering the examination, have a short prayer and lift up the questions unto the Lord. Pray that He will guide you to have a good answer which the examiners will appreciate, and to remember all the things that you studied for the particular subject. 

After the prayer, breath deep and slowly release it to relieve the tensions that you are feeling. Then start your exam. Imagine yourself that you are taking a final exam of a review subject from your terror professor when you were in law school to have confidence that you will also hurdle the question of the bar exam.

I advised that you scan through all the questions first before answering so that you will have a little bit of an idea of topics that are asked and to know the number of questions that you need to answer. Take note of the time when you answer as time is the essence when taking the Bar. If you  don't know the answer in a particular number, skip it and flag that said number so that you can start answering questions that you know, then return to it. Sometimes, as you go through the other questions, an answer might pop-up that might help you to answer the number that you flagged.

Also, remember that once you finish answering and there is still time, review thoroughly your answer and make sure that your grammar is correct to help the examiner not to have a hard time reading your answer and for good impression. 

FINAL WORDS FOR THOSE WHO WILL TAKE THE BAR

 

Do not be afraid that you will not make it, because YOU WILL MAKE IT.

 

Be confident in your answers and show the examiners that you are ready to become a first-year lawyer.

 

Believe in yourself. Trust your study style and what you have studied. You will be fine.

 

Wishing all the best for the November 2022 Bar Examination Takers.

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